“ I think age is a mindset and one only feels old if one wants!”

Name : Win Swe

Gender : Male

DoB : 06.06.1980

City of Birth : Myin Dike, Kalaw, Myanmar

Status : Married

Family : 2 boys (16 and 12yo), 1 girl (6yo)

Hometown : Myin Dike, Kalaw, Myanmar

Education : 3rd Grade

Job : Farmer / Field work

Religion : Buddhist

Politics : –

As a child… How would you picture yourself at 30?

JOB – How did you decide to do this job?

All my family (I have 9 brother and sisters) work and live out of agriculture and I never thought about another option for myself. Especially because I do not have high education and I only studied until grade 3 so I never really thought about something else than working in the field.

I have always loved the life here and I never tought I would move from here. I think it just never crossed my mind.

HOME / PLACE OF LIVING – Where you thought we would be living by now?

I have always lived in my village (myin dike, close to Kalaw), born, raised, went to school… I have always loved the life here and I never tought I would move from here. I think it just never crossed my mind.

Win at her home serving dinner to her family.

Win at a local market, buying a doll for her 6 year old daughter.

Striking and memorable events…

IN YOUR PERSONAL LIFE – What are the most memorable event of your personal life?

A few years ago, when I was 31, I was very sick (fever, headaches) and I was confined to bed for a few weeks. This time was quite a hard time economically speaking for my family and I could not afford to go to hospital. But the monks from my village helped me and they literally saved my life. I was able to go to hospital and recovered after a few weeks.

IN THE WORLD – What are the main events that stroke the world you are living in?

Myanmar : I remember that I heard about an earthquake and a tsunami that occurred close to Yangon (capital of Myanmar). I do not know exactly when it happened but I think it was 5 or 6 years ago. This event was kind of a shock to me because we usually do not have weather problems or natural catastrophes.

I also remember an event that happened 14 years ago that affected my family and I. There was a fire in my village and my parent’s house was set on fire. I was so scared at the time, but in the end nobody got hurt.

World : Win does not read/watch news and could not mention any event.

BEST MEMORY – What is your best memory?

Without any doubt, the day I got married…,I was 17 years old… the ceremony took place in my village. It was a rather small traditional Burmese wedding with around 300 guests (Win and her family both have big close families). During that day, we pay respect to the monks, walk all around the village and offer lunch to our guests.
I think it Is the happiest of my life because I could live with the person I was in love with and because it was the beginning of a new life, working together and building a family.

GREATEST ACHIEVEMENT –

I am proud of both of my sons because they are both very clever in their own way. The older one (16yo) is not going to school anymore but he helps us a lot on our every day life, and he is more helpful than in most of families. The younger one (12yo) is very smart at school and I hope he will pursue in this direction.

Looking back / Reviewing expectations

10 YEARS AGO, I was already married and had gave birth to 2 children. Unfortunately one of them died when he was baby… But my point is that when I was 20 I already had started a family with my husband. Even at that age, I never thought about living somewhere else than my village and that I would have another job than working in the field.

TODAY, My life is very similar to the life I had 10 years ago… I live happily in my village with my small family made of my 2 sons (16 and 12 yo) and my daughter (6yo). We are far from being wealthy but thanks to our fields we can afford basics things which is the most important.

Win taking shower a few meters away from her home.

Win mainly walks around her village and to her fields.

30 years old, a turning point?

WHAT’S NEW? – Did you notice some changes since you are 30 YO?

I do not think so… I would say it is more the passage of time that changes your priorities. I was more selfish during my early 20’s and I valued a lot my happiness, whereas today I am only worried about my family’s well being.
During my 20’s I was quite poor but thought a lot of work during this decade, I was able to have a more confortable life.

I do not think turning 30 changed someting… I would say it is more the passage of time that changes your priorities.

In both cases, I think it is mainly due to some slow changes over my 20’s and not a drastic change when I turned 30.

OLD OR YOUNG? – Do you feel « old » or « still young »?

I feel very young… I think age is a mindset and one only feels old if one wants! I feel very young because I still want to experience and try many things in life.

CHANGES OR REGRETS? What are the things you would like to change?

I wished I had been able to built a special house for my family. When I say special I mean made out of cement, much more robust that we would be able to keep for decades. But on overall I cannot complain because our house I quite new since we built this bamboo house last year.

My Values

My Typical day

And tomorrow?

YOUR STORY IN 10 YEARS – What is the story you want to tell within 10 years?

I do not want to think about the future… And I never do because I am afraid…

THE WORLD IN 10 YEARS – How do you imagine the world you will be living in within 10 years?

Myanmar : I think that Myanmar will be more prosperous that today. Our government is improving the quality of education and it is also making it accessible to more people. Since last year, every child can have access to school and I see it as a small revolution.
Education will bring a lot of changes and the first effects will certainly happen over the next 10 years.

World : Win does not have an opinion on how the world may evolve.

Fears and Dreams…

FEARS – What are you afraid of?

The only think I am afraid is that one member of my family has heath problems.

ACHIEVEMENTS – What are the things you want to achieve?

I want to be able to donate to the monetary of my village and help the monks. Maybe it is my way to thank them for saving my life a few years ago.

DREAMS – What is your craziest dreams?

I would love to go abroad once in my life… In my country, nobody can go abroad so I would love to go, even just once…I have heard that it is very complicated and expensive to get visas and so on. That’s the reason why I say it is a crazy dream!